The invention relates generally to a method for automatically displaying context information as well as to an event management device. The invention relates further to a computer system, a data processing program, and a computer program product.
Today, many user interfaces of computer systems are windows-based. Text and graphical elements may be presented to a user in such a window. A pointing device, having a related cursor inside the visible window, may be used to navigate through the content displayed in the window. Additionally, the pointing device in combination with the cursor may be used to select displayed text or graphical elements. Different windows with different displayed content may be displayed on a single screen. However, only one window may be active at a given point in time.
The general set-up of the user interface may be controlled by a primary application also controlling the cursor in response to a physical treatment of the pointing device, i.e., “clicking”.
A click at a cursor position in the window on a computer screen may be interpreted in the context of the specific application, the pointing device and thus the cursor are linked to. Other applications than the one having a link to the cursor may not be activated or controlled by the pointing device active in the active window.
Several approaches for application-to-application-communication techniques in a windowed environment are known. Document U.S. Pat. No. 7,685,605 B1 discloses an apparatus for a communication between applications by using an extensible communication protocol with a graphical user interface. The user transmits an interest object associated with an event from a second application to a server, which forwards the interest object to a first application. When the first application practices the event, information concerning the practice of the event is transmitted from the first application to the second application without going through the server.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,982 B2 discloses a device capable of determining a delivery destination of an event automatically without requiring choosing operation of an operator. An event entered through an event input means is given to a delivery destination determining means, which in turn determines to which of applications API, AP2, . . . , APn the given event is to be delivered according to the contents of the event, and according to a delivery destination determining information stored in a delivery destination determining information storing section, and delivering accordingly. Therefore, the event is delivered to an appropriate application even if the operator does not choose an addressed application.
Thus, there may be a need for an improved management of events in a windowing system requiring only little or no change to the code of the applications involved and enabling a more flexible response to a pointing device related event.